Newport Says Yes to Funds for Film Fest

The Newport Beach City Council voted unanimously Monday to provide public funds for the new Newport Beach film festival set to kick off this spring.

The city earmarked $7,000 Monday in start-up costs and will vote in the new year whether to provide more revenue--as much as $40,000--for theater space for the eight-day event, set to start March 30.

The city’s funding comes at a crucial time. Organizers had set a Jan. 1 deadline to raise at least 25% of the festival’s estimated $100,000 budget.

Organizers said they expect to meet the deadline, having already received funding from a few other sponsors. The festival will include screenings, gala parties and seminars.

The city’s vote reflects the hope that the festival will be an economic boon to the community.

“I think we will see a lot of booked rooms in hotels and people in restaurants,” said Newport Beach Assistant City Manager Sharon Wood. “I think the festival has the potential to turn into a Sundance. It’ll just take a little bit of time to get there.”

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City officials marvel at how quickly the festival has risen out of ruins since September, when founder Jeffrey S. Conner filed for bankruptcy after a four-year run.

Even though Conner’s event--called the Newport Beach International Film Festival--attracted 15,000 to 25,000 filmgoers yearly, vendors and volunteers cited poor organization, unpaid bills and logistical foul-ups for its demise.

“These people have taken something that had collapsed and that had a bad reputation and built it up without skipping a year. I think that says a lot,” Wood said.

According to Wood, the vote of confidence is the result of a strong board of directors made up of film and business professionals, heightened alliances with Chapman University’s film school and with UC Irvine’s division of arts and humanities and the inclusion of professionals from Hollywood’s directors, actors and screenwriters guilds.

Organizers are still accepting submissions from filmmakers who want to participate. For an entry application, write to Newport Beach Film Festival, 4540 Campus Drive, Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660; or call (949) 253-2880. Entry fees are $45 for features and documentaries; $30 for shorts. Notification of selections will begin in mid-January.